Building a deck or dock over a lake or other body of water generally requires the use of pilings driven into the bottom of the lake or other body of water adjacent the shore. After driving a sufficient number of pilings into the bottom, the deck could then be built onto the pilings. While this method does provide for a secure structure, driving pilings into the bottom adjacent the shore is often difficult. Furthermore, the pilings, being exposed to the water, can suffer damage as a result of the freezing of the water. Also, this method is particularly difficult to apply in areas where the shoreline consists of hard rock since it is difficult to drive pilings into hard rock.
An alternative approach to building a dock or deck over the water is to use a plurality of pedestal type pillars which rest on the water's bottom, as opposed to being driven into the bottom. While easier to construct, this is not a practical approach for building a permanent structure as the silt and mud on the bottom tends to cause the pillars to shift.
Yet another approach is to build a floating dock or deck which uses a plurality of floats or pontoons to support the decking Again, while convenient, this approach does not lend itself to building a permanent structure. An improved system for building a dock or deck which extends over water which overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art is therefore required.